The secretive and tradition-bound process of the papal conclave officially begins today (May 7) at the Vatican, as cardinals gather to elect a successor to Pope Francis.
Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, passed away last month at the age of 88 following a period of declining health. In February, he was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli Hospital with a respiratory infection and chronic bronchitis, which later developed into pneumonia in both lungs. He also suffered mild kidney failure. The Vatican confirmed his passing in a heartfelt statement released on April 21.
The Conclave Process
The conclave—the centuries-old method by which a new pope is elected—commences with a solemn mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. Following the mass, the College of Cardinals will proceed with the voting process, held in strict secrecy within the Sistine Chapel, to determine the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church.
Later on this afternoon, 133 cardinal electors will stroll over to Sistine Chapel while chanting the litany of the saints.
The electors will then stand before Michelangelo’s vision of heaven and hell by swearing to carry out the solemn duty of selecting a new pope.
The cardinals will take up a vow of secrecy before they begin discussing and ultimately voting on who they want to be the next leader of the Catholic Church.
There are 133 cardinals in total, including 17 from Italy, while cardinals elsewhere in Europe are from nations such as Spain, France, the Netherlands and Hungary.
Asia and the Middle East have 23 representatives, and North America and South and Central America have 16 and 21 respectively.
Meanwhile, four cardinals originate from Oceania – one from each of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.
Who are the favorites and when will a new pope be announced
The race to become the next pope and the leader of the Catholic Church is very much open, though Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin and Luis Antonio Tagle, a Filipino Cardinal, are said to be amongst the frontrunners.
Theoretically, a new pope could be announced as early as today, but that is deemed as unlikely.
Italy’s Pietro Parolin is one of the favorites for the job (Getty Images / Stefano Costantino/SOPA Images/LightRocket)
See, the cardinals are likely to spend days debating who would be best fit for the role of pope, so the event in which a new leader of the Catholic Church is announced today probably won’t happen.
If no winner is found in the coming hours, the Vatican said black smoke would be seen plummeting out of the Sistine Chapel chimney later this evening.
And on the off chance a new pope is elected, then white smoke would be released.
